


my condolences and congratulations

by jetlikelignite



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fake Character Death, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, M/M, Nobody is Actually Dead, Oh good that's a tag, listen this is all a joke, the Gaang are playing a con on the whole world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25377088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jetlikelignite/pseuds/jetlikelignite
Summary: Right before Fire Lord Zuko's wedding, Sokka completely unexpectedly and definitely actually dies. Probably. The Gaang makes their way to the Fire Nation for the wedding amidst this completely heartbreaking and legitimate tragedy that they're all handling suspiciously well.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 610





	my condolences and congratulations

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry in advance, and also this whole thing is a joke.

Yuki is nervous. She’s already on her way to meet a living legend, but she’s also making her first journey to the main Southern Water Tribe encampment, and to top it all off - she has to deliver bad news. The worst possible news. How is she supposed to tell him? Should she start with an apology? Just come out and say it? And the timing couldn’t be worse, either.

“Yuki?” A kind-looking woman beckons her forward. “Chief Hakoda will see you now.”

Oh spirits. This is it. Yuki takes a deep breath and ducks under the pelt that makes the door for Chief Hakoda’s tent.

“Ah, Yuki, is it?” Chief Hakoda is seated on the ground behind a large table. It’s covered in documents bearing the seals of all of the nations, and Yuki swallows hard. “Come on in.”

“Thank you, Chief. Sir.” Yuki kneels down before the table.

“You’re the new messenger,” Hakoda says. His face, though lined with age, is still strong and proud. He’s currently writing a message in broad, confident strokes across a thin piece of parchment. Yuki can imagine him leading the fight in the Hundred Year War. She can imagine him and his two children fighting to save them all. Their stories, and the stories of their companions, are a staple around the campfire at Yuki’s village and that only makes her feel worse.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” she begins shakily. “I - I’m bringing you very bad news.” At her grave tone, Hakoda sets his brush back in the inkpot and focuses all of his attention on Yuki. She squirms under his scrutiny.

“You can tell me, child,” he says, so kindly it makes Yuki want to cry.

“It’s your son. He’s - well, he’s -” And now Yuki truly is tearing up, her vision going blurry as she struggles to breathe evenly. “He’s passed away, Chief Hakoda. Unexpectedly. In his sleep, peacefully.”

“Ah.” Chief Hakoda sits back. “Thank you for the message, Yuki. Will you be passing by the messenger station on your way back?”

Yuki blinks in surprise. Did he not hear her? Oh spirits, she didn’t want to have to tell him again.

“Sir, I don’t understand. Aren’t you… sad?”

“Oh. Right. Of course I am.” Hakoda looks gravely at her. “This unforeseen tragedy has shaken me deeply, and it is extremely difficult to express my grief. I am inconsolable about the fact that I will never see my beloved son again.”

“O-of course!” Yuki stammers. Of course he was grieving, and she was probably being insensitive questioning him about it!

“I would like to have a moment in private, if you wouldn’t mind,” Hakoda says. “And if you could take this letter and mail it when you leave? It’s to the Fire Lord.”

“Yessir,” Yuki stutters quickly. “Of course, Chief Hakoda. I’m so sorry.” She grabs the sheaf of parchment that Hakoda offers her and bolts from the tent. The poor man, she thinks. How awful.

\---

Katara is told by one of her students. She is in the North Pole, on one of the many trips she makes in her efforts to train the new waterbenders that have appeared in the South as well as keep Southern waterbending alive. Many scrolls and documents were left in the North from the days before the war when the tribes were in closer contact. She also likes to teach the Northern Water Tribe waterbenders some of the many techniques she has acquired over the years. One of her students is late. When he finally appears, he comes skidding into the training arena breathing hard.

“Something’s happened!” He cries to the gathered group of students. “Master Sokka of the Southern Tribe has died!”

There are shouts of alarm all around. Sokka visits both Water Tribes often, and many of the children here have grown fond of him.

“Master Katara!” A child appears before her. “Master Katara, I’m so sorry.”

“Hm? Oh, yes,” Katara says. “My brother has passed on. But we all know that he will live on in our hearts.” She looks at the children before her. “I think we will move on to the advanced set today.”

The children begin to trade awkward glances.

“Master Katara,” one girl tries. “If you would… like some time, to see to arrangements for Master Sokka, then-”

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Katara says. “I will be with my father soon to grieve, and his funeral arrangements will be handled by Fire Lord Zuko.” She claps her hands together. “Come now, what better way to honor my brother’s memory than to put in an extra hour of training? Everyone in your stances!”

\---

“Hey, Toph!” Suki yells.

“What?” Toph yells back. The noise coming from her house is unbelievable. She stomps out the front door, leaving it open behind her, where a small crowd of children are gathered in the courtyard practicing bending.

“News from His Royal Hotness,” Suki says, waving a paper around. Toph smirks.

“What now? Does he want me to come sit in on some more council meetings? I do love exposing liars and traitors.” The children behind her giggle, and Toph turns around to glare at them. “Practice your stances or I’ll come beat them into you,” she snaps, and the children immediately return to their raucous training.

“He wants to know if you won the championship or not,” Suki reads.

“Is he an idiot? Of course I won,” Toph snorts. “Seriously, I think all of the politics have begun to rot Zuko’s brain.”

“You should tell him that when we get to the Fire Nation.”

“Oh, you think I won’t?”

Suki laughs. She’s in her warrior’s uniform and facepaint, though she knows Toph can’t see it. Behind her is a carriage loaded with her luggage and pulled by a bored-looking ostrich-horse.

“Are you ready to go?” Suki asks. Toph smiles.

“I’m ready if you are.” She turns back to her students. “Hey, brats! Get your lazy butts out of my courtyard, I’m going on a trip. I’ll be gone for two weeks. If any of you slack off on practice, I’ll make sure you regret it when I get back!” The students titter excitedly as they drop the metal and rock they were bending, flooding out the door and around Suki and Toph.

“Oh, yeah, and Sokka died,” Suki adds. The students fall silent, frozen in their mass exodus from the building.

“About time,” Toph growls. “Are we going or not?”

“Oh, sorry, I thought we were waiting on luggage,” Suki says pointedly.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m gonna make Zuko buy me new stuff anyway.”

“Fair enough,” Suki shrugs, and they make their way through the stupefied children to the waiting carriage.

\---

“My condolences, Avatar Aang,” Uncle Iroh says joyfully.

“A terrible tragedy,” Aang confirms. He hugs Uncle Iroh tightly, then takes his pack from him and leaps up to tie it to Appa’s saddle. “Are you ready to head to the palace?”

“Of course! Do you think I would miss this party?” Iroh laughs. Behind him is the Jasmine Dragon, nearly brimming with patrons. Several servers scurry back and forth tending to the customers, pouring tea and serving pastries to the masses.

“If we fly fast, we may beat Katara and her dad there,” Aang says. “And maybe even Toph and Suki if we’re lucky. I want to see the look on Toph’s face when she realizes we got the best suites in the place.”

“By all means, young Avatar,” Iroh says gregariously as Appa lifts him up on his tail. He settles down in the saddle and Aang gives him a brilliant smile.

“Yip yip!” Aang calls, and they lift off into the sky.

\---

“Didn’t you hear?” Zuko says. “Sokka died.”

“Tragic,” a young man says.

“Absolutely,” Zuko says. “We’re lucky that his entire family was heading here for my wedding anyway. Now we can just have a quick funeral before the ceremony and get everything all wrapped up at once.”

“That’s so tacky,” the man complained. “People are going to think you all didn’t care about Sokka at all.”

“Since when have I cared what people think?”

“Historically? A lot, Fire Lord Zuko,” the man teases.

A gong rings out loudly, and Zuko stands from his seat. He offers his arm to the man and they exit their rooms together, heading for the entrance to the palace. By the time they reach the doors a small crowd of friends have gathered beyond it.

Toph and Suki are arguing with Aang about rooms in the palace. Zuko’s Uncle, white-haired and gleeful, is deep in conversation with Chief Hakoda. Katara is attempting to scold Toph on her clothing, which she calls completely inappropriate for either a wedding or a funeral and completely unacceptable for both.

“My friends, please,” Zuko says calmly. “We can argue plenty inside.”

“My condolences, Fire Lord Zuko,” Aang says mischievously. He bows formally. “I know we were all devastated to hear about Sokka.”

“How sad,” Katara adds, looking mournful.

“And he was so young,” Suki nods.

“Can you believe I have to see my son pass?” Hakoda says, shaking his head. “I don’t know how I’ll survive the loss.”

“When a tragedy occurs, we must all find a way through to the other side,” Iroh says sagely.

“Oh, enough blabbering,” Toph snaps finally. “Wanna introduce us to your betrothed, Your Highness?”

“Oh, him?” Zuko says, feigning surprise. “I thought we’d want to get the funeral out of the way first, but this is fine. Dear?”

“Wang Fire,” the man at his side says. His grin reaches nearly to his ocean-blue eyes. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“Okay, who’s going to call him by the wrong name first?” Suki mutters.

Toph laughs. “My money is on Katara.”


End file.
